DEFRA minister’s calls on Norfolk County Council to look again at routes

Residents’ calls to to ease traffic problems through their village have been echoed by Government minister Elizabeth Truss.

Southery has problems with lorries travelling through the village, along with the sheer number of vehicles using the village.

South West Norfolk MP Mrs Truss, minister of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, is calling for Norfolk County Council to conduct a review of its route hierarchy.

The village has been asking to be taken off this hierachy.

During a visit to East Harling, Mrs Truss said: “This is an issue affecting not just South West Norfolk but the county as a whole.

“The ability of the local roads to cope with today’s movements of HGVs travelling through villages must be looked at.

“I believe the last route hierarchy was conducted some 25-30 years ago.

“A lot has changed since then, HGVs are bigger, there is an increase in traffic movements and for villages like East Harling, it is extremely dangerous and worrying to witness the big lorries having to mount pavements in order to navigate their way past other vehicles or pedestrians.

“I have been calling for the county council to address this for some time now as other areas like Southery also suffer and I will be maintaining the pressure for this issue to be addressed.”